International Science Groups Selects Hilo for Annual Conference

Hilo has been chosen to host the July meeting of two international scientificorganizations. The Society for Mathematical Biology and the Japan Associationof Mathematical Biology will hold their annual conference at the HawaiʻiNaniloa Hotel July16-19, 2001.

The site selection was due in part to the presence of the Universityof Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the favorable impressions Hilo made on a SouthernCalifornia professor. Lisette de Pillis, an associate professor of mathematicsat Harvey Mudd College is a member of the International Scientific Committeeof the Society for Mathematical Biology. She is also the sister of Emmelinede Pillis, who teaches management at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo'sSchool of Business. de Pillis was captivated by the lush, unspoiled beautyof East Hawaiʻi, and impressed by the people she met at the University duringher visits.

She suggested Hilo as a conference site when the Society for MathematicalBiology was planning their annual joint meeting with the Japan Associationof Mathematical Biology, and organizers enthusiastically agreed. Hawaiʻiis considered an ideal meeting point between Japan and the US Mainland,while Hilo offers the additional benefits of a beautiful tropical settingat a fraction of the cost associated with other resort areas. The presenceof UH Hilo also provides conference participants with access to enthusiasticcolleagues and a top-notch conference center for making local arrangements.

Mathematical and Theoretical Biology is an explosively growing field. The purpose of the annual meeting is to highlight exciting areas of growthin the field internationally, and to provide a perspective on future directionsfor the field along with its links to Experimental Biology, Biotechnologyand Medicine.

The conference will consist of plenary talks, minisymposia, contributedtalks and poster sessions. Topics will include sessions on genomics, ecology,immunology, neurophysiology, and mathematical modeling in medicine. dePillis for example, will discuss her research focusing on mathematicallymodeling both the growth and treatment of cancers. Her findings indicatethat predictive modeling can aid clinicians in creating more effective treatmentprotocols.

The Society for Mathematical Biology and the Japan Association of MathematicalBiology provide a forum for discussion of research in biology, mathematicalbiology, and mathematics applied to or motivated by biology. Interdisciplinaryresearch such as biophysics, computational biology, and many other similarrealms are a growing part of the SMB and JAMB mandate.

For registration information, contact Mae Narimatsu at (808) 974-7555or email mnarimat@hawaii.edu. For general information or special accommodations, contact the UH Hilo ConferenceCenter at (808) 974-7555 (V), (808) 974-7335 (TTY) or email foxgolds@hawaii.edu.Special accommodation requests should be made at least ten business daysprior to the event.